Notes / Commercial Description:
Our Limited Edition Biere d’ Hougoumont is brewed with traditional French ale yeast, eight malts, French Strisselspalt hops, and aged on white oak and hard maple wooden staves. A traditional Biere De Garde style, this malty French-style farmhouse ale is brewed to be aged. The name honors the Hougoumont farmstead at the pivotal center of the Waterloo battlefield. Napoleon repeatedly failed to take the fortification, he then lost the battle and “met his Waterloo.”

Reviews by Profchaos20:

More User Reviews:

Poured into a large tulip glass a slightly hazed deep burnt orange with fluffy one and a half finger white head that faded slowly.Aromas of toasted oak,vanilla/caramel,and lightly spiced yeast.A pretty full body with caramel and toast flavors at the onset,a decent drying leafiness keeps the beer from being overly sweet and the alcohol is pretty well hidden until mid glass.I think this beer would be very food friendly because it's not to big and doesn't hit you over the head with spicy phenols.

The beer pours an amber-brown color with a white head. The aroma is full of biscuit and bready malt, with some grapes and yeast notes thrown in. I also get a hint of oak. The flavor is full of caramel and toffee, as well as some grape and light fruit notes. There is a bit of oak but it is fairly subtle. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Poured into a Duvel tulip - nice amber ruby colour, which was a surprise for the style. Good crown of foam that leaves streaks of lacing and a sturdy head. Nice retention on this.

Malty to the nose, which I suppose is the maple, alongside some oaky notes, grape, banana, clove and other spices. Almost like a wee heavy biere de garde. Very nice.

Tasty biere de garde that melds about two different stylistic themes into one mellow, balanced whole. It's malty and sweet, with that maple component, but has those classic Belgian flavors lingering in the back. Easy to drink, very smooth. Carbonation is a touch high for my liking, but the brew is surprisingly light and airy.

This would be nice to keep on hand in the cellar. Nice brew from Ommegang, from whom I expect nothing less.

A- This beer pours a slightly hazy caramel colored body with a thick beige sticky head and some strands of microbubbles gliding to the surface.

S- The fresh rain and yeasty aroma blend with a slightly nutty plastic note that is not offensive. There is a wet wood and nougat note that comes through in the finish. As it opens there is a maple and fusel hint in the finish.

T- The dry malt and fresh grain flavor has a slight pungent papery hop note in the finish. There is a soft maple wood hint that seems a bit odd but remains soft.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a creamy fizz and no alcohol heat

O- This beer is underwhelming and a bit bland. The soft hints of wood character are a bit odd and I don't taste any of the classic Biere de gaurde flavors. Maybe age will help a bit.

Had on tap at whole foods in a pint glass unfortunately, pours a slightly hazy golden amber color with barely any head, decent retention and no lacing. I get the feeling that if this has been served in a tulip it might have developed a nicer head.

Smel is yeasty and malty- there's some caramel in there and a little funk in addition to the earthy yeast quality.

Taste is consistent but more fleshed out- some hops are thrown into the mix, a fuller malt body, nice yeasty notes, finishes sweet.

Mouthfeel is good- medium body, light to moderate carbonation, a little sticky sweet. Pretty good but not necessarily worth the price (get it at happy hour for 5).